Items

Add, view, duplicate, move, and modify the the items in your database.
To access it directly, add /items to the end of your Alexandria URL.

Navigation

The Items Management gives you a record list on the left, and shows the current record on the right. Navigate between the Items Tabs (Publication, Copies, Subjects, Terms, Notes, Other, and Programs), and use the MARC toggle to enter exit the MARC View Editor. Click the padlock to lock/unlock the interface for editing, add a new record with our SmartMARC® Title Assistant, hover over the cover art for picture options, and access the action menu for more Title Actions.

See Hotkeys for Circulation shortcuts.

MARC Toggle

This button will transform the Current Record pane; you can toggle between the normal Item View and the more advanced MARC View Editor.

Add Items

When unlocked, the drop down menu allows you to choose between adding a new item (Ctrl/⌘ + A) or a copy (Ctrl/⌘ + ⇧ + A) to whichever record is highlighted.

Actions Menu

The Actions drop-down menu (represented by a gear/cog icon) contains specialized, title-centric item management functions.

• SmartMARC® Title Assistant. Opens the Title Assistant dialog, which allows you to add or update title records through databases.
• Remove title. Permanently removes the selected title record and all associated copies; title holds and reservations will be lost.
• Duplicate title. Duplicates the currently selected title; other than creation dates, duplicated title records can be exactly the same.
• Quick export. Quickly exports the selected title record as a .txt file in MARC format.
• Move copies to this title. Opens the Move Copy dialog. Use this feature when a copy is mistakenly imported (or added) to the wrong title.
• Title statistics. Shows title-specific circulation information; this information is used to help assess library and item usage. It can be used for reference when ordering additional copies of items in high demand or weeding out infrequently used items. This statistical information can not be modified.
• Merge titles. Get rid of duplicate titles, while retaining history for all copies, and updating the title history to reflect actual usage.

See Title for more information about the main Items page, and the Items Tabs.

Move copies to this title

Use this feature when a copy is mistakenly imported (or added) to the wrong title.

1. Go to Items.
2. Select the title from the list on the left.
3. Click the Actions menu.
4. Click Move copies to this title.
5. Select by barcode list or barcode range.
6. Enter the barcode of the copy you wish to move or merge with the currently selected title record.
7. Remove source titles with no copies (optional). If the copy being moved is the last copy of the selected title and you would like that title record to be removed after the move has been performed, leave this box checked.
8. Click Move.

Items FAQ

Which MARC tag and subfield do I use?

In Alexandria, it’s easy to catalog items whether you understand MARC tags and subfields or not. However, if you can’t find a spot for the information you want to add in a title record, you may need to switch to MARC View and add it that way. So… where can you go to find information about what each tag and subfield represents?

The Library of Congress (LOC) website has a special section devoted to MARC tags and fields, which shows what each tag and subfield represent and examples of how each is used.

To get to the Library of Congress MARC webpage:

1. Go tohttp://www.loc.gov/marc.
2. Click on Bibliographic under the MARC Formats section or Bibliographic under the MARC LITE section.
3. Use the Table of Contents to select a portion of MARC information you would like to learn about.
4. Use links from the resulting page to view specific tag information.

You can also click Read About This Tag when looking at a specific tag in MARC View to go straight to the relevant LOC page.

MARC LITE is a subset of the full MARC 21 Bibliographic Format. It includes all essential data elements that are needed to create bibliographic descriptions of information items. Records using only those elements are valid MARC records and may be integrated with fuller records without alteration.

How can I get a list of all items that are checked out and their due dates?

To get a list of all the items that are checked out along with their due dates, follow these simple steps:

1.  Select Operations
2.  Select Reports 
3.  Categories: Circulation 
4.  Select Loaned Items Information
5.  Select Run

Once the report is generated, you can see all the checked-out items along with their due dates. Any due date that appears in red indicates that the item is overdue.

School has started and I want to clean up my item records. Is there an easy way to clean up mediums and genres?

You can do this in Authority Control, which is the part of the program that helps a user manage terms and edit, modify, or even remove them when no longer in use. To access Authority Control go to Tools and select Authority Control. You will find terms listed under both patron and item field headings.

By using the gear at the top you can select “Remove unused terms” to clean up some of these fields. This will only remove a term if none are entered into an item or patron record under the corresponding field. If you have any questions about best practices for managing Authority Control terms we recommend you call Customer Support for guidance and advice. 

Over the summer our IT department wants to add or re-add the Chromebooks and iPads to our catalog. What are the recommended methods of doing this correctly?

If you have used Alexandria or Textbook Tracker to catalog non-book items such as laptops, chargers and other technology it is a good idea to use a specific item policy or policies to manage them. In most cases you will want a title record for something like a Chromebook to include all of the copies instead of 1/1 with titles/copies.

If you are using an import file, you will need to create a title record with an ISBN first so the import setting “Title update matching” works for title and ISBN/LCCN.

Read Cataloging Equipment to learn how to catalog equipment in Alexandria.

If you have any questions please call Customer Support at 1-800-347-4942 to get help with importing files.

How can I easily change the copy location or copy shelving?

The easiest way is by using the Set All Copy Locations or CH command in Circulation. This is much quicker than going into each item to change copy locations. Make sure to clear the command line when you’re done!  You can also run the Copies Information Report to help view and sort your items.

How can I import items into Alexandria?

Go to Operations > Import and select the category of what you are importing. Upload the file from your computer, and make sure to configure the field map. Note: Marc records don’t need to be field mapped. See Import for more information.